July 27th Press Review
TURKEY, US, IRAQ REITERATE COMMITMENT TO REMOVE TERRORIST PKK FROM N.IRAQ
The third ministerial meeting of the trilateral mechanism composed of Turkey, the US and Iraq, established last November to improve cooperation in the fight against the terrorist PKK, was held in Ankara yesterday. The meeting was attended by Turkish, Iraqi and US delegations headed by Interior Minister Besir Atalay, Iraqi State Minister for National Security Shirwan al-Waili, and US Maj. Gen. Steven A. Hummer, the deputy chief of staff for operations in the multinational force in Iraq. Speaking at a joint press conference after the talks, Atalay said they had focused on ways to further develop cooperation among the three countries against terrorism, and ending the presence of the terrorist PKK in northern Iraq in particular. He added that all three parties reconfirmed their determination to deepen their cooperation towards this end. "The participants in the meeting reiterated their determination to make coordinated action against the terrorist PKK more effective," Atalay said, adding that Turkey still expects Iraq to do more to end the PKK presence in the region. "We always have greater expectations. We want more concrete results," he said. The PKK has launched attacks on Turkish targets from bases in northern Iraq, and Turkey wants Iraq to cut financial and other aid to the PKK and the capture and extradition of PKK members. Turkish warplanes often attack PKK hideouts in northern Iraq. The last airstrike took place a month ago, after a landmine on the Turkish side of the border killed six soldiers. For his part, al-Waili stressed that Iraq feels uneasy about any element that could pose a threat to Turkey's security, adding that the cooperation will continue until the PKK is completely gone from the region. Reiterating that the mechanism's main goal is to ensure the eradication of the PKK and its members from Iraqi territories and border areas, al-Waili described the meeting as successful, positive and comprehensive. "A spirit of cooperation prevails. I would like to underline that Iraq is working hard. This is our duty," he said. He added that the Iraqi Constitution says its territories cannot be used to endanger the security of any neighboring country. Atalay also said that the government would soon announce comprehensive civilian measures to tackle the southeastern Anatolia issue, adding that government efforts to fight the terrorist PKK go hand in hand with these plans. /Turkiye-Sabah/
BOSNIAN FM TO VISIT TURKEY
Bosnia and Herzegovina Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj will pay an official visit to Turkey tomorrow at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu. The Foreign Ministry said that during the talks, relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey will be discussed as well as regional and international issues of interest to both countries. /Hurriyet Daily News/
TURKISH LAWMAKERS EYE VISIT TO CHINA'S UIGHUR REGION
Parliament is seeking permission from Chinese authorities to send a team to the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, where ethnic rioting earlier this month left 197 people dead, said Parliament Human Rights Committee head Zafer Uskul yesterday. Speaking to reporters, Uskul said that they are looking into the issue as a human rights matter. Stating that they will definitely not intervene in China's internal affairs, he added that a delegation of Turkish deputies would visit the region, where many ethnic Uighurs live, if Beijing permits the visit. He also said the visiting deputies would be mindful of Turkish-Chinese relations. /Today's Zaman/
INTL TEENS TO MEET IN ISTANBUL TO DISCUSS CREATIVITY, INNOVATION
More than 200 teens from 26 countries will gather in Polonezkoy, Istanbul to discuss the role of creativity and new ideas in intercultural education at a summit starting tomorrow and running through next Tuesday. The Volunteer Summer Summit will bring 224 students and 24 volunteer trainers together from the European Federation for Intercultural Learning (EFIL), Turkish Cultural Foundation (TKV) and American Field Service (AFS), a group providing intercultural learning and volunteer opportunities for students. The summit, which will be attended by AFS International President Francisco Cazal and EFIL Secretary-General Roberto Ruffino, is financed by the European Commission's Youth in Action program. The theme of this year's summit is inspired by the 2009 European Year of Creativity and Innovation. /Today's Zaman/
THY AIMS TO EXCEED $5 BLN IN ANNUAL REVENUE
Turkish Airlines (THY) CEO Temel Kotil said yesterday that the airline has carried 10 percent more passengers over the past 6 months despite the global economic crisis, adding that this year THY could exceed $5 billion in annual turnover. Kotil said THY carried 5.6 million people abroad in January-June, a 17 percent rise year-on-year. "THY has also seen a 5 percent increase in the number of passengers on domestic flights. The rise in the number of passengers in domestic and international flights was around 10 percent," he said. "The number of international transit passengers was the key element of THY's growth. It is a significant indication that Istanbul has become a transit line." THY is one of the world's fastest-growing and most prosperous airlines. It carries some 20 million passengers a year, with direct flights to 108 international and 33 domestic destinations. In terms of passenger numbers, THY is number four in Europe, and is also the number four airline globally in terms of performance. Kotil also said a sharp rise in the use of Shop&Miles credit cards by THY passengers has helped boost the airline's performance. /Hurriyet/
ANKARA TO HOST THIRD-LARGEST SEED GENE BANK
The world's third-largest seed gene bank is to be established in Turkey. Construction on the seed bank will be launched with a ceremony in Ankara tomorrow by Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Mehdi Eker. "We need to assess the current situation and protect our biological diversity and genetic resources," said the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Ministry in a statement. "There are about 10,000 plant species and nearly 3,000 endemic plant species in Turkey. Turkey is considered a center for finding genes of a number of plant species of great importance for biological research. Thus, we have decided to establish a seed gene bank in Turkey. The bank will contain genes from 250,000 plant species." The international community has set up seed banks, frequently known as gene banks, in response to the loss of biodiversity. There are now 1,300 banks worldwide containing around 6 million acquisitions. The world's largest seed bank, managed by the US Department of Agriculture, holds more than 460,000 seed samples and has the capacity to store up to 1 million seeds. /Today's Zaman/
